Back in the green and gold fold: Cherrington ready to put suspension to rest

Parramatta forward Kennedy Cherrington was going through one of the lowest points of her career when Brad Donald gave her a call to offer another opportunity to represent her country.

Having spent almost half of the NRLW season on the sideline due to a dangerous contact charge, the Parramatta skipper had accepted that a four-match suspension might cost her a representative jersey in 2023.

But after leading the Australian women's Prime Minister'x XIII's team in Papua New Guinea last month, Cherrington will return to the international stage on Saturday when the Harvey Norman Jillaroos face the Kiwi Ferns and the 24-year-old is desperate to make up for lost time.

“Don [Brad Donald] rang me and just said, 'Mate, I'd just love to give you another game, you need it'," Cherrington said ahead of her PM's XIII selection.

“Footy is our identity so when it's taken away from you, it's like, oh like what do I do now? I kind of felt a bit helpless in that four-week period… but I've put it to rest, taken it on the chin.

"I'm one of the ambassadors and facilitators for Greg Inglis' Goanna Academy with the work he does there, so I'm not afraid to speak up and say I was dealing pretty badly with mental health.

"I was going through a tough time but had a really good support system and got through."

Despite playing just five NRLW games this season, Cherrington's inclusion in the Jillaroos squad should come as no surprise to rugby league fans after the powerful lock scored two tries in three minutes to help the Jillaroos to a 54-4 win over the Kiwi Ferns in the final at Old Trafford last year. 

Named on the bench for Saturday's World Cup final rematch in Townsville, the talented forward said she focused on the silver linings throughout her time on the sideline, now feeling well rested and ready for the international campaign. 

"My body feels great, I think that was the longest break I've ever had because after the World Cup we went straight to All Stars and then straight to the Harvey Norman Premiership [before going into the NRLW games].

"Another silver lining was my girls [Eels teammates] really stepped up and got an opportunity to showcase the player they are.

"It's not always easy when your captain is, is out, but I think the girls have handled it quite well.

“I think resilience is one of my best characteristics that I like to be proud of so now I just have to park it, move on.”